The present invention relates to the field of making up tool strings, particularly tool strings used for oil and gas exploration. When making up drill strings, tool string components such as a swivel or kelly may be detached and reattached to and from the drill string. Such swivels may be data swivels as disclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. US 2004-0113808 A1 and US 2005-0046586 A1. In the process of reattachment, the swivel may collide with the top-most component of the drill string. Such collisions may damage the swivel or other components added to the drill string. In the prior art, several references disclose methods for making up a tool string.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,892, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it discloses, discloses a self-aligning coupling for mating a pair of axially arranged first and second flanged fittings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,527, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it discloses, discloses a casing clamp and guide arrangement to permit ease of centering and securing of the next section of pipe casing to a downhole string comprising an elongated stable member having clamp means at either end with one clamp adapted to engage the top of the uppermost downhole pipe casing and the other clamp adapted to clamp and stabilize the next pipe casing section into coaxial alignment for threadable connection therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,633, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it discloses, discloses an apparatus for aligning a first tubular and a second tubular, in certain aspects, the first tubular extending through a power tong and the second tubular extending through a backup tong, the apparatus including positioning apparatus for guiding the power tong with respect to the backup tong and for maintaining said power tong and said backup tong in a certain juxtaposition during a tubular stabbing operation, the positioning apparatus including a plurality of spaced-apart locating rods projecting from one of said power tong and said backup tong and a plurality of spaced-apart blocks on the other of said power tong and said backup tong, and each block having a recess shaped to receive an end of one of the plurality of spaced-apart locating rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,829, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it discloses, discloses a tool for handling drill rod having a reduced diameter portion near one end. The tool includes a connecting bar having a pilot member at one end which fits into the upper, open end of the drill rod. A lifting fork is at the other end of the connecting bar and fits into the reduced diameter portion of the drill rod to support the drill rod in a vertical position. A positioning member is located along the connection bar between the lifting fork and the pilot member.